Life-saving mattress



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e W. H. HORTON. Life Saving Mattress.

N 0. 238,H9. Q Patented Feb. 22,1881

v IKh/E NTEIR NJHERS. PHOTO MTHDGRAFMER. WASHINGTON, By C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HORTON, OF EVERETT, ASSIGN OR OF TWO-THIRDS TO CHARLES M.NOBLE, OF SAME PLACE, AND JOHN S. ANDREWS, OF CHELSEA,

MASSACHUSETTS.

LIFE-SAVING MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,119, dated February22, 1881.

Application filed June 26, 1880.

To allwlwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HORTON, of Everett, in the county ofMiddlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented anImprovementin Life-Saving Mattresses, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object the followin g described improvementin life-saving mattresses, reference being had to the accompa.

1o nying drawings, forming a part of this specification in explainingthe nature of my invention, in which- 7 Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a cont plete mattress. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the 15 sectioncontaining the floating material. Fig.

3 is a vertical section; and Fig. -1 is a perspective of a portion ofthe mattress, showing a receptacle for food, 800. Fig. 5 shows details.I

The principal features of the invention consist, first, in thecombination, in a mattress, of a section made of hair, excelsior, orother suitable elastic material, and a section containing hollow ballsor vessels made of metal,

2 5 india-rubber, or other suitable material, and cork shavings packedbetween them, or cork shavings alone, or air-tight metallic vesselsalone, as may be desired. The vessels and shavings are arranged in thelower part of the mattress, and the hair, excelsior, or other materialused for stuffing in the upper part, and the two parts are joinedtogether by a frame of wood or other suitable material. The mattress isso constructed that provision 3 is made for the reception of cannedfood, wa-

ter, 850., and it is furnished with life lines or bands.

A represents the upper port-ion of the mattress, consisting of thecasing a packed with hair a, or other suitable stuffing. The casing ismade of bed-ticking, or any other suitable material, and it may or maynot be waterproof. It is fastened by the lower portion or flap, 00 atthe sides and ends to the frame B. The lower section, 0, of the mattressis made of ticking c, or other suitable material, and is filled withhollow metallic vessels 0, and with cork shavings, or with either. Thissection is fastened to the frame B, and the line where the two edges ofthe two sections come together upon the frame is covered by a (Nomodel.)

life line or band, D, which is fastened at intervals to the frame B byeyebolts (Z. The hollow balls or shavings are kept in place by means ofthe partition 0 The upper part of the mattress is provided with an apronor other extension, E, which covers one or more of the receptacles, 0,formed in the mattress for holding canned goods, water, or otherarticles, and the flap or apron is arranged to be tied down over thisreceptacle, if desired. Extending through the flap there may be passed arubber tube, 6, for drawing water from the receptacle. Extendingtransversely around the mattress are life lines Or ropes D.

The mattress may be provided,further, with a socket, f, for thereception of a stafl' for carrying signal-flags, and the staff, when notin use, may he slipped under the transverse life lines or ropes upon theside of the mattress.

When the mattress is used in its life-saving capacity the water willfill the compartment or section inclosing the balls and shavings,(through suitable holes in the casing,) and will act as ballast inkeeping the stuffed portion of the mattress uppermost, so that it isimpossible that the mattress shall capsize.

Of course I do not confine myself to the shape of the hollow vessels, orto their size or number; neither do I confine myself to their use inconnection with cork shavings, but may use cork shavings alone, or ballsalone, as desired.

The mattress may be provided, also, with a ring, 01, at either end, forthe purpose of providing means whereby two or more mattresses may belashed together.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States In a life-saving mattress, thecombination of the section (J, filled with buoyant material, fastened tothe frame 13, the mattress A, provided with the flap a fastened to theframe B, and the bands D, extending around the two sections,substantially as and for the purposes described.

WM. H. HORTON. Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d,

A. J. QETTINGER.

